A large number of portable phones have recently been developed and used. However, in relation to the portable phones, various portable phones, such as slide-type portable phones that can be opened and closed by way of a sliding device, folding-type portable phones that can be opened and closed by way of a turning device (a hinge), and the like, as well as straight-type portable phones assuming a simple rod shape, have already been developed.
A first example hinge used in portable equipment includes an open-close shaft reclosably supported by an open-close shaft support section; a rotary shaft rotatably penetrating through the open-close shaft perpendicular to the open-close shaft; angle regulatory pieces provided so as to contact both the open-close shaft support section and the open-close shaft; a regulatory flange projectingly provided on the rotary shaft; a rotation regulatory section that is attached to the open-close shaft support section and that faces the regulatory flange; an open-close shaft retaining plate that is fastened to a tip end of the open-close shaft by caulking, to thus prevent removal of the open-close shaft; and a mounting plate that is fastened to a tip end of the rotary shaft by caulking, to thus prevent removal of the rotary shaft (see; for instance, Patent Document 1). The hinge and portable equipment built from a first enclosure and a second enclosure attached to the hinge are structured such that the first and second enclosures are folded into a closed state and that one enclosure is able to turn in an open state with respect to the other enclosure. When the open-close shaft and the rotary shaft turn, corrugated springs into which the shafts are inserted are compressed, thereby generating predetermined torque.
A second example hinge causes a first enclosure and a second enclosure, which make up portable equipment, to mutually open and close in a first direction parallel to a vertical direction and a second direction parallel to a horizontal direction from a mutually-overlapped close state. The hinge has a first shaft attached to either the first enclosure or the second enclosure; a second shaft attached to a remaining one of the first enclosure and the second enclosure; a base that supports the first shaft and the second shaft so as to be turnable around their respective spindles; a first cam mechanism that controls turning action of the first shaft with respect to the base; a second cam mechanism that controls turning action of the second shaft with respect to the base; and a lock mechanism that locks, except when the first enclosure and the second enclosure are closed and when the first enclosure and the second enclosure are mutually opened in any one direction, opening and closing actions of the first enclosure and the second enclosure in the other direction (see; for instance, Patent Document 2). A compression coil spring into which a shaft is to be inserted is provided along each of an outer periphery of the first shaft and an outer periphery of the second shaft. When the respective shafts turn, predetermined turn torque is generated.
Both of the foregoing hinges used for portable devices are configured such that two enclosures are joined together so as to be able to open and close and turn in a first turning direction in which the two enclosures turn from a closed state in an overlapped manner to an open state and also in another direction in which one enclosure turns with respect to the other enclosure so as to cross the first turning direction at a right angle.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 3031903    Patent Document 2: JP-A-2006-233998